1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image forming system to which a post-processing device for executing sheet processing is connected, and relates to an image forming system control method for controlling such image forming system.
2. Description of Related Art
There is an image forming system in which a post-processing device is connected at the subsequent stage of the image forming apparatus. In the image forming system, a sheet bundle on which images are formed is subjected to saddle stitching bookbinding or gluing bookbinding, and a booklet in book form is output.
Such image forming apparatus also has a function for confirming, which function is referred to as trial print. By using the trial print, it is possible to output a copy of booklet which is in the same state as a booklet in a completed form. These technologies are described in Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application Publication Nos. 2005-5943 and 2007-28105.
The above Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application Publication No. 2005-5943 proposes that it is possible to arbitrarily set which ejection tray to use as an output destination when a trial print is executed on an image forming apparatus. However, in this proposal in Patent Document 1, the output destination for the sheets printed on the image forming apparatus are only switched, but Patent Document 1 does not consider at all in the case that a post-processing device is connected to the image forming apparatus.
In addition, the above Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application Publication No. 2007-28105 proposes to apply, when executing the trial print of the print job, print conditions which are dedicated to the trial print of the print job and which are different from print conditions designated for the print job. Here, if the trial print has processing conditions different from the processing conditions for an actual job, media or image conditions for the trial print are modified to make the trial print similar to an actual booklet.
Note that in an image forming system including a post-processing device, with respect to a print job for which a post-processing is designated, the control of the image forming system and the prohibited conditions are controlled while the following conditions are associated with structural conditions and processing functions of the post-processing device: a page order of sheets conveyed on each apparatus and device, an arrangement of images on a sheet (the positions of images, the order of images, and the direction of images), designated sheet size, a sheet number of bundle (number of sheets for one booklet), and the like.
In making booklets on the post-processing device, adjustment parameters for a plurality of booklets are held. Thus, in order to make a high quality booklet, a booklet is first output by the trial print to confirm the state of the booklet and to modify the adjustment parameters, and after a satisfactory state is confirmed, an actual printing is executed.
As adjustment parameters needed for making booklets on the post-processing device, there are parameters A and B as below.
Parameters A: Parameters A are parameters to make booklets and include sheet size information, sheet thickness information used to determine a bending width, and the like.
Parameters B: Parameters B are parameters related to showing of booklets and include a binding position, a cutting amount, an image state on page, and the like.
Regarding parameters A above, the post-processing device is input with adjustment parameters based on data obtained by measuring the sheet before the execution of the post-processing. Concretely speaking, data are transferred and received from the image forming apparatus to the post-processing device through communication, or the data are manually input into the post-processing device by an operator.
Further, regarding parameters B above, the operator confirms the showing of the booklet made by the trial print, and the operator inputs or modifies adjustment parameters in the post-processing device.
Here, if the image forming apparatus has a measurement function and the image forming apparatus and the post-processing device are configured so that various parameters can be transferred and received, parameters A above can be automatically input. However, if the image forming apparatus does not have the measurement function, parameters A above cannot be automatically input, and the operator has to input the parameters in the post-processing device. Alternatively, the image forming apparatus and the post-processing device can transfer and receive basic data such as ready and busy, but do not fully support the transfer and reception of various parameters, parameters A above cannot be automatically input, and the operator have to input parameters in the post-processing device.
On the other hand, in the case of a job for which post-processing such as making a booklet is designated, there sometimes arises a need to confirm a cutting amount and an image state on page, based not on a completed booklet but on the sheets before bookbinding. This need arises, for example, when the operator would like to confirm the state which is difficult to visually check on a completed booklet.
Alternatively, if it matters that you have to wait for a waiting time of a glue heating time in gluing bookbinding only for a copy of a trial print, there arises a need to confirm the state of the post-processing, based on the state of an uncompleted sheet bundle, without producing a final booklet. In a similar way, if there is a need that you do not want to use, for trial print, consumable materials such as glue for biding and staples for staplers, there arises a need to confirm the state of the post-processing, based on the state of an uncompleted sheet bundle, without producing a final booklet.
Here, in a job for which post-processing is designated, image formation is also executed to be in the state corresponding to the post-processing, on the premise that the post-processing is executed. “The state corresponding to the post-processing” above means the above-mentioned page order of sheets, the arrangement of images on a sheet (positions of images, an order of images, and a direction of images), and the like, and means the state suitable for executing post-processing. Therefore, if the designation of the post-processing is removed from the job in order to output with no post-processing, the image formation is executed in a state which is not corresponding to the post-processing.
Note that it is very troublesome and not practical for the operator to input, in the image forming apparatus, the settings for one copy of a trial print for which post-processing is not designated, in the same way as for a trial print on which the post-processing is to be executed. Therefore, it is impossible to deal with the above object that it is required to confirm the state of the post-processing, based on the state of an uncompleted sheet bundle, without making a final booklet, which is a problem.